The present invention relates to a protective device for a catheter and or device that transcends from the outside of the body to the inside of the body, and more particularly to a protective device which decreases the amount of foreign material (fluid and/or debris) presented to the catheter and its corresponding exit site, decreasing the risk of foreign material reaching the inside of the body.
With the improvement in healthcare over the last several decades, there is an increasing number of patients living with indwelling catheters traveling from the inside to the outside of their bodies. These catheters are being used for a variety of reasons such as dialysis, chemotherapy, alimentation, and fluid drainage, to name a few. The protection of the catheter and corresponding exit site is a significant concern for these patients, as moisture or other material can support the growth of harmful or infectious bacteria in and around the exit site.
As such, these patients ability to perform normal daily activities, such as swimming, bathing, and even showering is severally limited, and can even become prohibited for many of the patients. As a result, even when the patient begins to recover, the catheter becomes a constant reminder of their illness.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a device for protecting a catheter and corresponding exist site during such activities as swimming, bathing, or showering.
The protective shield of the subject invention provides a means for protecting an indwelling catheter and corresponding exit site from dirt, debris, and moisture. The protective shield comprises a pair of protective layers, an inner bag and an outer cover. The inner bag is designed for receiving the proximal end of the catheter, having a front side and a backside, with the front side having an opening therethrough. Positioned and affixed within the front side opening is a moisture absorbent material, where the moisture absorbent material comprises a substantially centrally positioned slit therethrough. The moisture absorbent material can be treated with appropriate agents to inhibit the development of bacterium, fungi, viruses, and other infectious agents. The inner bag further comprises a moisture resistant adhesive material suitable for application to the patient""s skin, where the adhesive material is applied to the outer surface of the front side of the inner bag, substantially surrounding the opening without discontinuity, such that a protective seal can be formed when the inner bag is applied to the patient""s skin.
The outer cover comprises a sheet of flexible, fluid-impermeable material having a peripheral edge that adheres to the patients skin, surrounding the inner bag. A moisture resistant adhesive material suitable for application to the patient""s skin is applied to the peripheral edge without discontinuity, such that a protective seal can be formed when the outer cover is applied to the patient""s skin. The outer cover can be of any size so long as the inner bag is encompassed within the peripheral edge. For example, the outer cover can be sized for application around a patient""s waist, shoulder, torso or extremity. The outer cover serves as a tarp to move water away from the inner bag.
In use, a catheter is inserted into the inner bag by inserting the catheter though the slit in the absorbent material. The catheter is drawn into the bag until the absorbent material abuts the catheter exit site and surrounding area. The inner bag is secured in position by the adhesive material in contact with the patient""s skin. The outer cover is positioned over the inner bag, such that the inner bag is positioned within the peripheral edges of the outer cover. The outer cover is secured in position by the adhesive material in contact with the patient""s skin. The bag can be removed by peeling the outer cover from the patient""s skin. The inner bag is gently peeled from the patient""s skin and the catheter removed from the bag. The protective shield is then discarded.
An advantage of this invention is that the shield decreases the risk of foreign material reaching the inside of the body.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.
All patents, patent applications and publications referred to or cited herein, or from which a claim for benefit of priority has been made, are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent they are not inconsistent with the explicit teachings of this specification, including: U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,642 to Shepherd, U.S. Pat. No. 4,5,495,856 to Fentress, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,090 to Weston.